Daughter of Lir [Paperback]

Judith Tarr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 22, 2003

In this sequel to White Mare's Daughter, the people of the horse goddess once more face the threat of war.

Generations ago, the people of the White Mare migrated westward, through the great forests, until they met and clashed with the people of the cities of the Mother. They brought war to the cities, but in the end they made peace through alliance and marriage.

But now war threatens again.

Now there is something rumbling across the plains, coming from the East: a dreadful new weapon wielded by the tribes of the east as they once again begin to push westward. Rhian, a potter's daughter with the gift of seeing, has dreamed of these terrifying war chariots. Emrys, the King's son, has seen them at the edge of his kingdom.

Together, they must try to find a way to defend the Cities of the Mothers from a new invasion.

Tarr's series of books about the people of the Horse Goddess is a great and powerful saga from the mists of time. The tales she tells are the root of every legend, the heart of every myth. Judith Tarr has created a vividly believable tale of destiny you will never forget.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Tarr, a historian turned historical fantasist, follows White Mare's Daughter with another richly imagined tale of priestess/warrior culture clash. The Bronze Age city of Lir, founded by the matriarchal horse-goddess worshippers of the prequel, faces an impending war against invaders armed with the most fearsome device ever: the chariot. The story begins when ill omens persuade Lir's Priestess Mother to reject her long-awaited baby daughter, who is then raised in obscurity by a potter and his wife. Rhian grows up intelligent and willful, the wind whispering visions to her, her dreams filled with images of a powerfully destructive war machine. Riding off from her village astride the living goddess White Mare after she is passed over by a priestess recruiter, Rhian joins forces with Prince Emry, her brother by birth as well as in arms. They travel to the land of their enemies, where the king has fallen victim to the witchery of his young wife, Etena, despite the courageous efforts of his first wife, Aera, and his sons, Minas and Dais. Disguised as traders, Rhian and Emry master the art of building chariots and the politics of patriarchal polygamy. Knowing they will someday meet in battle, Rhian and Etena make a daring trade Emry for Minas. Full of adventure and romance, Tarr's tale tops her usual fare (The Queen of Swords, etc.) through its ingenious evocation of early civilizations sharing knowledge, culture and family. Lir's matriarchal utopia will please feminists and romantics alike, while the war scenes will satisfy others' thirst for blood and justice. (June) Forecast: Xena devotees albeit those with long attention spans are the ideal market for this one. But the cover art, featuring a trio of fecund horses, barely hints at what's inside.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In her new novel, Tarr returns to the ancient pagan world of White Mare's Daughter (LJ 6/1/98). Terrible omens at Rhian's birth led priestesses to conceal her heritage. Rhian grows up believing herself to be a potter's daughter, when in fact she is the Mother's heir in the city of Lir, whose matriarchal society is once again threatened by tribes from the steppe. Rhian, chosen by the White Mare to be a servant of the goddess, is determined to capture a chariot, recently invented by the invading tribes, and build an army to defend her homeland. Minas and Dias, sons of the tribes' king, are just as determined to conquer the peaceful, wealthy people of Lir. Will love and loyalty triumph in this clash of cultures? Appealing characters enliven the rather predictable plot. Recommended for most public libraries, particularly where Tarr is popular. Laurel Bliss, Yale Univ. Lib.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books (February 22, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312876254
• ISBN-13: 978-0312876258
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,050,287 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I have a lot of academic credentials (PhD from Yale, MA from Cambridge University, AB from Mt. Holyoke) and taught writing and Latin at Wesleyan University in Connecticut--before I ran away from it all to live on a mesa in Arizona. I breed and ride Lipizzan horses, read and study history (and make up my own alternate and fantastical versions), and write--novels, short stories, articles. I teach writing online (details at http://capriole.smoe.org) and blog on the livejournals as dancinghorse. My alter ego is author Caitlin Brennan, who also has a plog on amazon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating tale of a turbulent time, July 16, 2001

By 

Linda Antonsson (Nödinge, Sweden) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Daughter of Lir (Hardcover)

The fourth entry into the Epona Sequence, a cycle of books set in the ancient past and focusing on the first cultures to ride and tame horses, may well be the best of them. Set generations after the first novel _White Mare's Daughter_, _Daughter of Lir_ sets the stage with a deftly written prologue filled with signs, portents, and the undercurrent of theological politics. From the story leaps forward to begin to show the many differences -- and interesting similarities -- between the People of the steppes and the cities of the Mother. The main protagonist is a woman, but not far behind are several male characters, who together represent the two opposed cultures.

This well-written book keeps a good pace, and Tarr's academic credentials make her depiction of the cultures seem vividly real; even the use of magic (even more clearly an actual working force than in the previous books) seems to fit the novel. Tarr is especially skilled in depicting, with but a few words, deep and complex relationships between individuals without making it seem like vapid romance. Last of all, her style is an impeccably clean prose, not simplistic but simply very clear and unaffected by a desire to seem 'literary'. All in all, the novel was a joy to read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant. Ancient epic through modern language., April 12, 2004

By 

Paixe (Columbus, OH, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Daughter of Lir (Paperback)

This is a beautiful book. The second in what seems to be a trilogy, begun with White Mare's Daughter and finished in Lady of Horses, this is set in an ancient eurasian steppe, and travels to the beautiful realm of the goddess worshipers. The setting is described beautifully, the characters are wonderful.. I only wish I could live in Lir.. *sigh* This book made me feel ever more proud to be female. *grin*

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Daughter of Lir, July 14, 2003

By 

K. Freeman (Apple Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Daughter of Lir (Hardcover)

Early Celtic mythology and Indo-European history set against a semi-historical Central Asian backdrop.

To me, this was one of the best books Tarr's come out with lately. It's not underwritten, it's not boring (it all actually takes place in less than a decade, though only just), and although here and there the plot tries to go in too many directions at once, for the most part it works.

Tarr's books are romance novels with action and magic. Relations between men and women, often of different cultures, are central to nearly everything she writes. Readers who don't like this element are advised to stay away from her work--I'm usually not too fond of the romancey subgenres myself. However, she does it well; there's plenty of spice and both the female and male characters have depth and personality, though there's a little too much "war of the genders" phrasing for me. In Daughter of Lir, both Rhian and Minas, the foremost of several pairs in the book, are well-drawn, appealing people.

The historical recreation generally works well for me and the horse nomads are great -- I don't know if any actual historical or archaeological evidence supports Tarr's conception, but since it's such early history that doesn't seem indispensable here. I did find it a bit hard to believe that a strongly patriarchal tribe would have a "Year-King" ritual (which apparently is never performed except when the witchy antagonist needs to use it as a threat). Battle scenes are good, though here and there the plot structure gets confusing. The horses are wonderful--sometimes on the verge of being too anthropomorphic, but never sliding over. The fact that the matriarchal society is far from a utopia adds verisimilitude.